By Lynne Schmitz and Camille DeVaul
Kathy Bryden Brown was born in 1947 to Forest and Thelma Bryden at the County General Hospital in Atascadero. Both of her parents were in the military; her mother served as in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), and her father was an Airplane Mechanic in the Army Air Corps.
After their service ended in 1946, they moved to Paso Robles. Forest and his brother-in-law, Harry Arthur, opened A&B Wrecking Yard on a piece of property they purchased just north of Paso Robles along old Highway 101. The business still operates in the same location today, though under a different name. When the highway was rerouted and rebuilt in the 1950s, that stretch of the old road was renamed Monterey Road. A&B Auto Wrecking quickly became a local success, offering farmers a convenient place to dispose of old farm equipment and vehicles—and get paid for them. Kathy attended school in Paso Robles and proudly graduated as a Bearcat from Paso Robles High School, Class of 1965.
Kathy spent three years at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before getting married. She and her husband then relocated to Texas, followed by a move to Indiana, where their daughter Jennifer was born in 1971. The family later returned to Texas, where Kathy attended Texas A&M University and earned a degree in history. Subsequent moves took them to Maryland and, in 1980, to Virginia. After her husband’s passing, Kathy returned to California in 1999 to be closer to family. Having grown up next door to the Joe C. Brown family, she remained close with their daughters, Pat and Janet. The sisters, both active members of Farm Bureau Women, invited Kathy to join them in the organization.
In the early 2000s, Kathy decided to accept the invitation to join Farm Bureau Women. For nearly 20 years, she has served as the recording secretary, actively supporting the group’s efforts. She helps organize the annual fair booth and participates in various fundraising activities, which generate scholarships for local students pursuing careers in agriculture. To Kathy, the Farm Bureau represents a cherished piece of “old Paso Robles”—a connection to community, tradition, and purpose.
As luck would have it, Kathy and Joey Brown married in 2007. Joey passed away in 2016. Her daughter, Jen, lives in Wilmington, Delaware, and they visit each other whenever possible. Kathy has been involved with Friends of the Adobes in San Miguel since 2000, holding several different offices over the years. She has also volunteered with the Book Sale Room at the Paso Robles Library since 2007. Kathy stays close with many of her childhood friends—women she started Kindergarten with—and they still get together regularly.
If this story inspires you to learn more about Farm Bureau Women, contact Susan Sonne at (805) 610-1375 or shortsuecakes@gmail.com
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